Repair!

[Aiko]

It was an average day in the jungle forest, people came, and people went.

A distraught young woman entered the famed Synthesis shop, cradling what at first looked like a baby in armor in her arms. Crying and sniffling she set what was actually a doll on the counter.

The woman's black eyes had turned red from much crying, her slender delicate hands moved her long black hair back over her shoulders, covered in a silk kimono, a garment that had obviously been patched in places. A mace was slung over her back.

The Doll itself resembled what no one would realise was an old english knight, england not existing on Althanas. The visor drawn down, the doll's head was severed, and it's body was cracked straight down the middle, unrepairable to what was once it's former glory. No, as one saw the smaller cracks spreading out like a spiders web, one realised this doll was beyond repair. Perhaps a small grave for the foot tall doll was best.

As the owner of the shopkeeper came over the young woman looked up with the most mournful expression in all the world, and in a scratchy voice brought on by her crying, she said only one thing.
"My baby's dead!"

Only two other things became appearent next to Aiko and the doll.

One, The Doll's insides were made entirely of Brimstone, a type that was able to recieve the telepathic commands of an outside source, thus revealing how Aiko controlled Edward, and two, she wore a pretty circlet with a glowing stone in the center of her forehead.

OOC: I actually have a sort of idea involving this I can tell you about through TG if you want, or I can make you guess through IC interaction.
The desired outcome, is an upgrade to Edward, the broken doll on the counter.

[Lasair Anubail]

Lasair blinked and looked from the woman to the doll that lay upon her counter. It was clear to her the woman was in dire pain over the fact that the doll looked rather crushed and broken and, well...decapitated. She felt sorry for it. If anything like that ever happened to one of her plushies, she didn’t know what she’d do. Just because they were made of cotton and vlince and various other kinds of material didn’t mean they felt no pain. After all, they were alive, sort of. They were just different and very, very small. Though the perfect companions for her.

Looking into the eyes of the young human, Lasair gave her a small smile and reached across the table. Her small hand gently laid itself on the arm of the woman and gave her a light, comforting squeeze. Or she hoped it was comforting to her. Tristram tended to hug her when she was upset, or squeeze her shoulder. It always helped her though she didn’t know if it would do anything for this stranger. She just hoped she didn’t offend her or she recoiled away in horror at the touch. Eep, that would be horrible. Maybe she should stop.

“It’s not dead...” Lasair said in a soft voice. “It’s just broken and I have yet to find something broken that I have not been able to fix! Well, except real babies. When they break there’s not much you can do to fix them...but since this is just well... I’m not sure what it’s made up, do you know what it’s made of?”

Her words just kind of tumbled one after another in quick succession.

“I dunno, Lasair.”

Glancing down at the counter, Lasair saw her Tristram kneeling beside the broken doll. He was a plushie, the first plushie, she ever created to keep her safe during her travels and prevent her from getting lonely. The little guy was only nine inches tall and an exact replica of her best friend Tristram, a Draconian from Suthainn. He had cute little wings on his back, wore a nice little black vest and black pants and his one entire arm was covered in dark blue scales, as was his back and part of his chest.

“This thing looks pretty broken to me.” To emphasize his point, he kicked the things head and watched it roll a few inches before coming to a stop.

“Tristram!”

She reached out to grab him, but he deftly moved out of her grasp and then flew off towards the back room. If she didn’t have a guest to deal with, she’d chase him back there herself and then beat him against the wall. That was a bad, bad Tristram!

“Don’t worry about him, he’s just a meanie.” Lasair said as she turned back to the woman. “I need to know what the doll is made of and any properties or enchantments it may have so I can help you and give you the ingredients to fix it.”



(OOC: If there’s something you need me to know about the thread, feel free to PM my Witchblade account with that information. Also—this coming from a Judge—saying ‘jungle forest’ is a bit redundant. Though they are both filled with trees, a jungle and a forest are two different things. A jungle is a type of forest, usually in hotter climates with different species of plants and animals. So you just need to say jungle. ^^)

[Aiko]

Aiko looked Lasair in the eyes. Lasair could see she really did lose a child once.
“Edward is dead. “She said. She grabbed Lasair suddenly, the reason was clear, the brimstone core burst into the fires found in the pyre. The flared into being briefly, and then faded into nothingness, leaving naught but a hunk of blackened steel behind. If she had not grabbed the fae, she too would’ve been taken by the dangerous flames.

She set Lasair down on the counter and stepped back.

“Grandfather, our daughter needs a doll to play with, one that’s more than an ordinary doll. Cousin Lust takes the regular ones for his ‘amusement’. “Aiko said, begging on her knees and facing Tristam as though he were this, grandfather character.

“No, I’m not assuming your going to do it, I was going to make it. “ Aiko said shrinking back and shaking in terror.

“No, please don’t hit me! I’m sorry, I’m sorry. “Aiko cried, as though being beaten. She fell back like she had been struck by someone powerful.

She got up, her tears suddenly gone, excited by some find.
“This must be the brimstone in the pyre Grandfather Hatred told me about. Reflecting the thoughts of those burning in its fires, it assists with leading others towards their next life, but for my doll it will give him life as reflected by my thoughts. Grandfather said they would work with my thoughts directly, that I would actually be controlling the doll with my mind alone. I wonder why he thinks that though. Now, what else did I need? Oh yes, a sturdy oak shell and some metal for the armor. I know, I’ll ask Auntie Greed, she has a ton of stuff. Maybe I can get the rest from her. “Aiko said.

Her face assumed one of kindness and gentleness.

“Calbrena, mother got you a new doll to play with, one that will protect you and keep you safe. He’s from the imaginary land of England, and he’ll be your friend forever. “Aiko said gently, speaking to her daughter.

Tears flowed from her eyes, she collapsed on the floor.

“Edward’s gone, the last remaining memento of me departed Calbrena, my precious daughter, gone, MY BABY’S DEAD! “ Aiko cried.

She looked up, amazed.
“What, what are you? He can, how? What’s a Soul crystal, how do I get Liviol? “Aiko asked.

“What’s a synthesis shop, where’s Luthmor? “ Aiko asked as she stood up.

It was clear by her insane ramblings, recounting of memories in the past that some part of her was trying to tell Lasair what she wanted to know. But who, or what, told her about soul crystals?

[Lasair Anubail]

Lasair blinked and took a step away from the counter as the woman went through a wide variety of emotions all within a span of roughly a minute. She knew that humans could be odd creatures, but this one was truly one of the strangest. She didn’t know if she should be helping her, comforting her or running for the back room and barracking herself inside so that she couldn’t hurt her! It was just a little too much for the energetic Fae to understand.

“Umm... soul crystal? Why would I hit you?”

Balling her hands in tight little fists and taking a deep breath, Lasair moved towards the counter once again. But if the woman made so much as another move towards her, she was pretty sure she’d scream so loudly that every Fae and Draconian with a mile would hear her.

“Er... The Synthesis Shop is my store, which you are in. And the shop is in Luthmor, the region of the Fae in Dheathain.” She told her slowly, as if she were talking to a small child. “You came in here to see if I could fix Edward and I suppose I can, though his insides will make it a little difficult since it’s a special kind of stone. And you also want some armour for him? I’m not sure what you need Liviol for and I have no idea what a Soul Crystal is, I’m afraid I don’t have or synthesize those. Nor would I truly know how to make one unless you told me what exactly it is and what it does.”

Reaching out slowly, Lasair wrapped her fingers around the little doll and brought it closer to her.

“Tristram, can you get me Tome two on the shelf!”

A moment after the command came, the same plushie once again appeared through the dark curtain a few feet from Lasair. His tiny little hands were holding on to the edge of a very large, brown leather covered tome that easily looked older than Lasair. Quickly, she laid it down on the counter with a soft thud.

“Thank you.”

Grunting his response, the plushie once again disappeared into the back room while Lasair began flipping through the old and yellowing pages of the tome. Her eyes scanned the pages and processed the information inhumanly fast before she would turn to the next and begin to assess that one as well. As she continued to read her other hand wrote down several ingredients on a sheet of paper, occasionally going back and crossing out one or two and replacing it with something much better. When she finished, she smiled softly and handed the paper to the slightly distraught and maybe crazy lady.


The List
• Three craighivar crystals (rare crystals from the Neamh mountains that duplicate themselves)
• One clear, unblemished crystal
• Three grams of Dasmascus
• Mana dust
• One tri-horn beetle

“There ya go! That’s the list for repairing the doll.”

[Aiko]

Aiko sat up. Personalities were flashing accross her eyes in rapid succession, trying to find one to understand what was going on.
A rare event occured, something that was borderline miraculous, her original personality surfaced for the first time in years.

She smiled and stood up.

"Clarity, it comes more often these days since I escaped from The Family. You look so much like the glowing man who visited me such a short time ago, but even then I was not completly myself. Before I slip into madness again, there is something I should share with you, something that will in the long run benefit you, as well as me.

Three weeks ago I was visited by a strange fae, not that fae are normally strange, but the fact that this one seemed to subsist almost entirely of a new and wonderous light seemed to me fair grounds to call him strange. He was perhaps half an inch taller than you, and his wings seemed as sharp blades. He spoke to me, and what he said impressed itself upon me so deeply, as to be present upon all my minds. He said that my condition was achieved through no outsanding fault of my own, and that because it was caused by the darkness, the light would help me. He said Edward was one of my minds, that I had four of them, and needed to rid myself of three, but as edward was, I couldn't be rid of his mind. He said Edward was the protector, rising from the need to protect myself from the archdemons of sin, known collectivly as The Family. He said I needed to go to the highest planes, were the purely good souls dwelt after judgement, and there earn three soul crystals. They're special crystals, containing pure possibility, or so he said. He said that they would come to contain my other minds, allowing me to achieve true clarity, and when the time was right, ressurect my deceased daughter.

He said that in order to best make it happen, I would need to give Edward a skin of Liviol. He said that those were the two most important ingredients. I don't know, I don't understand such things. I can only repeat what was said, but I don't even know how to get to such a place. Perhaps, that is the clear unbleamished crystal you spoke of in your list? Even still, Edward must have a good body when we recarve his body, to support his steel armor. Liviol would be a good choice in that instance. I'm sorry for my earlier outbursts, but I cannot control myself the great majority of the time. Even now, I feel myself fading. If it would help, I'm sure if I prayed hard enough to the light in general, he might return and you could speak to him directly." Aiko said.

[Lasair Anubail]

It might help her if the strange Fae that she had spoken of returned, or it might not. Lasair really was unsure at the moment. The woman before her was very confusing and the fact that she had four minds other than this calm rational one that was now speaking just well, boggled her mind. She couldn’t imagine having any other mind than her own, especially if those minds could take over her. Oh, that would be very, very bad. Imagine the damage they could do to her shop, or even Aileen. If anything happened to Aileen, Lasair didn’t know what she’d do.

“Well, you can if you want to...” Lasair said to her tentatively. “As for a skin of Liviol for the doll, I could do that easily. You’ll just need to add about one foot of Liviol wood to the list that I’ve given you.

“The crystals are a completely different story though. I don’t think the unblemished crystal is what you’re looking for. Though I could certainly try to make you three crystals that can contain the soul and essence of a person. I’m not sure how it would work in the end or even if it would work at all. From the sounds of it though, you might have to go on a journey someplace to get them if my version doesn’t work. Would you like me to try and make you a list for three soul crystals?”

[Aiko]

Aiko nodded and knelt towards the sun.
"Light, whoever, whatever you are, kind being that seeks to benifit me, please, return thy messenger that we might more fully understand thine intent." she intoned, having no idea of what to actually do.

Seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. Just as Aiko was about to blush and apologise, a ray of light intensified through the doorway, open the smallest of cracks, and a glowing fae was hovering in the room. He had great wings, and they seemed as great sharp swords. He had chilsed features, as though built like a warrior, and glowed with an otherworldly light, calming in it's presence. He was baely an inch taller than Lasair.

He flew over to Lasair, and smiled, giving a formal bow in mid air.
"A pleasure to make the company of one so charming." He said as he righted himself.
"I've been watching. The intent of why I sent her here is to right her mental condition, as you've already seen, she really is crazy, not just different. She has four minds, her original, and three others, all other appearences arrive due to conflicts between her minds stuggling for dominance. Now, her original edward was a nice try, but it won't fix her mind. It would help if you knew about Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. Frankenstein's monster was a humansized contrsuct made of human body parts, and given life. But surely your familier with the concept, for I see doll sized clone of another in this very room. To understand how to go forward, you must first understand what came before.

Edward was a doll, as is painfully obvious by now. He was made of a certain type of brimstone, which was how Aiko controlled him, through her own blossoming Psionic powers. She doesn't actually know she has Psionic powers, well, she does now that I've spilled the beans, but all the same, that's how she controlled edward. Edward must be reconstructed to be receptable to her powers, for she unconciously controls the doll, not even realising what she's doing, helped by her second mind, that of the Knight Protector, she named Edward.

Now Edward does not exist, he never has, so there is no essence by which we could simply follow your normal plushie method and be done with it. Even if you were to sample the mind, you'd only get a doll of Aiko. So we come to the Soul Crystal. How do we rid a mind of another mind? Some might say years of intense therapy, but in this case, that is not needful. A Soul crystal, is like an unprogrammed computer, but I'm not sure you know what a computer is. If you do, happy day, if not, consider that it's a highly complex quasi-magical machine. A soul Crystal, is a blank soul. In certain places of the afterlife, after being touched by souls for so long, it's been discovered that the essence of what a soul is, begins to multiply on it's own. So a Soul Crystal, which is he result of these multiplications, intensified and focused over long periods of time, is the beginning of a person, for the mind is the soul, and the soul is the mind, there is no difference between the two, for they are the same thing, though this subject can be debated later.
Back to the computer analogy, the soul crystal, being controled by Aiko, will retain and remember her commands, it's sort of like raising a child, only less difficult. Over time, the soul crystal will have been so programmed by Aiko's commands, that she won't have the second mind anymore, for she will have transferred it in it's entirety via giving Edward commands to the soul crystal. By that point, Edward won't be a doll anymore, he'll be a real flesh and blood person with a real genuine soul of his own. This is why Liviol is so important. Even when cut down, the magic in it still makes it act alive, an important fact to remember as the soul crystal transforms Edward into a real person. If you've followed me so far, you'll understand the frankenstein reference, however, unlike frankenstein, this isn't an abomination against nature, nothing ordered by the light ever is, though creatures like the duck-billed platypus might suggust otherwise.

Now, with a soul crystal, Liviol combination, we have the basis to create new life. With a soul crystal alone you have all sorts of new avenues opened up to you.

This is the core of what's needed for Edward, she already has his dagger, anything else though, she needs to get. Heck for the soul crystal alone it's going to be it's own adventure, let alone the Liviol.

Understand, or do you have any questions I might be able to answer?" the glowing fairy asked.
Aiko looked completly befuddled by the conversation.

[Lasair Anubail]

Lasair couldn’t believe it when some strange looking Fae just showed up in her shop. And he was so pretty too! Though he had wings like nothing she had ever seen before. They looked so sharp and pointy, like if she reached out and touched them she might lose one of her fingers and she kind of needed all of those. Well, maybe not all of them but she kind of liked them and they had their purposes.

“No, I think I understand!” Lasair said cheerfully.

The presence of the other Fae made her feel comfortable and relaxed and no longer worried that the woman before her was going to start break melting and then attacking her or something. She really did seem kind of unstable.

Quickly going back to her book, Lasair began flipping through some pages looking for at least one or two other ingredients that would help keep this Edward doll stable towards the woman’s abilities. It would be no good if she repaired the doll, but then because of the items she used, it was no longer so receptive to the woman’s psionic abilities.

Taking the piece of parchment back from the woman for a moment, Lasair scribbled down one last item in fluent and graceful hand writing.

“The bark and leaves from the meabhair tree is your last ingredient. But be careful not to get any of the sap into cuts or ingest it, because it causes these really trippy hallucinations.”




• Three craighivar crystals (rare crystals from the Neamh mountains that duplicate themselves)
• One clear, unblemished crystal
• Three grams of Damascus
• Mana dust
• One tri-horned beetle
• One foot of Liviol
• Bark and leaves from the Meabhair tree in Luthmor

[Aiko]

Aiko looked at the list, and then at Lasair.

"Where do I get these things, and where are the Neamh mountains?" Aiko asked.

"Well, the Damascus and the Liviol you can probably get from a reputable merchant. The mana dust comes from Fae specifically, our wings, but don't you dare go grabbing one of us and shaking the living daylights out of us just to get some. Now, if you ask nicely, then we might give you some. The Soul crystal I told you you needed, well, the first trial of the right to possess one of these crystals is figuring out on your own how to get to them, let alone how to pass the other trials. But that's business for another time. Cheerio!" The Fae said, and he imploded on the spot, disappearing from the Firmament entirely.

"But that doesn't tell me where to get the other things!" she shouted at the sun irrationally.

[Lasair Anubail]

“Oh, well you can ask me how to get the other items if you’d like!” Lasair said to her rather cheerfully. She really hoped the woman didn’t grab her and start shaking her to get the powder off her wings. It wouldn’t necessarily hurt, but it would certainly make her feel kind of dizzy and she didn’t always like feeling dizzy. Well, maybe on those rare occasions where she spun around in a circle really, really fast and then nearly lost her stomach because of it.

“Tri-Horned beetles can be found in the grasslands of Talmhaidh. They are these cute little black beetles with three horns on their hand and they can lift about thirty times their body size.” She said rather cheerfully. “The unblemished crystal can be found in a cave behind the waterfall in the shopping district and like I wrote on the paper, the Meabhair tree can be found in Luthmor. It has leaves the colour of deep red and the bark is usually really round almost sandy feeling. Lastly the craighivar crystals! They can be found in caves in the Neamh mountains, they’re rather rare and usually found in caves rather high up. Also, the mountain range is right after Fiorair swamp. You might be able to catch a ride there on the back of a dragon in Suthainn if you’re lucky.”

Lasair figured that was about everything she needed to know on the items, but she patiently waited to see if the woman had any other questions for her.

[Aiko]

Aiko took a step forward, but as she did she lost her balance, twisted as she fell, and hit her head on the floor.

She sat up rubbing her head.

"Zounds! I pray thee forgive mine tresspass into thine shop, fair lady Merchant. The information thou hast provided me with are most ample for what I am sure will prove to be a most glorious adventure to the highest heighths.

I apologise for mine untimely explosion as my small humble form was layed upon thine counter upon our arrival. I, Edward the Great, shalt take my leave before the setting of yon sun. Before another turning of the days I hope to be well out into the plains to capture the tri-horned beatle, but tell me before I go, for I have never heard of such a thing before, is it as large as a man, or as large as any other easily crushed insect?" Aiko said. The bump on the noggin had caused her to assume Edward's mind, as evidenced by her somewhat deepened voice and strange manner of speech.

As she stood there, even her stance was different, no longer that of a woman used to household affairs, and making dolls, but now was that of a seasoned warrior.

[Lasair Anubail]

Tentatively, Lasair reached across the table and touched the woman lightly on the arm. Yep, she was still real and still alive; she’d just turned into someone else again. It would be very confusing to try and be her friend, especially having to deal with everyone else in her head. Lasair wondered if she ever felt crowded.

“Wow, you must have bumped your head pretty hard!” She said rather cheerfully. “But umm, as for your question... the beetles are like... about this big!”

She held up her hand, enclosed into a fist. So, to answer her question, the beetle was not very big at all, just the size of well, a large beetle. It was certainly not going to try and eat her that was for sure. But it might bite which would just feel like a little pinch. Nothing major.

“Good now?”

[Aiko]

Instead of answering directly, she seemed to be conversing with herself.

"Indeed I am ready, let us depart for honor and glory!" She said.
"Is that all you think about? You need to get laid sometime." she asked as though she were a second person, voice a bit lighter than the edward personna, as though she were another whole mind.
" You need to watch your mouth!" Normal Aiko said as she turned to exit the shop.

"We three warriors are, with laughter we travel far.
Without a horse, I find we shall remorse,
If we do not find an enchanted bag, from an enchanting hag.

Wither and away, take flight this day,
of tales we have many more, perhaps we can keep some items in this store,
Bodies we shall find, for this lass is most kind,
Of rhyme I am cursed, but 'twas better than the Hearse!" She said as a fourth person.

She walked down the street arguing with herself and oocasionally leaping into rhyme.
It was only a question of time as to when she would return.

[Lasair Anubail]

Lasair gave a small and slightly tentative wave as she watched the very weird woman leave her shop. In a rather mean and rude way she kind of hoped she wouldn’t find all of her ingredients any time soon. Most just because she wasn’t sure how much more of her she could handle. All the talking to herself and the different people in her head got confusing, not to mention she called forth glowing Fae people. It was all just a little too strange for the little Fae.

Now that her shop was quiet once more, Lasair quickly went about putting her tomes back and tidying up for the night so she could go home and get some rest.




Both participants receive 85 experience.